UNIVERSITY    OF   CALIFORNIA 

COLLEGE    OF    AGRICULTURE 
AGRICULTURAL   EXPERIMENT  STATION 

CIRCULAR  No.  225 
December,  1920 

PROPAGATION   OF  VINES 

By  FEEDEEIC  T.  BIOLETTI 


Vines  are  propagated  by  rooting  ' '  cuttings ' '  of  the  '  -  canes. ' '  Canes 
are  the  mature  growth  of  the  current  year ;  cuttings,  pieces  of  these 
canes,  usually  from  10  inches  to  18  inches  long.  Cuttings  are  some- 
times planted  directly  in  the  vineyard,  but  are  usually  first  rooted  in 
a  nursery. 

Choice  of  Cuttings. — The  vines  from  which  the  cuttings  are  to  be 
taken  should  be  examined  while  they  still  hold  their  leaves  and  fruit, 
to  see  that  they  are  healthy  and  of  the  variety  desired.  Vines  which 
have  suffered  from  drought  or  disease  or  which  have  been  defoliated 
by  insects  or  frost  before  the  wood  is  mature  yield  poor  cuttings. 
Wood  (canes)  from  young  vines  which  have  not  yet  borne  is  often  im- 
mature, and  that  from  vines  which  have  borne  excessive  crops  is  often 
ill-nourished.     Cuttings  from  either  are  likely  to  fail  or  grow  poorly. 

The  best  wood  for  cuttings  is  of  medium  size  and  with  moderately 
short  joints.  Very  short  joints  indicate  disease  and  very  long  joints 
a  lack  of  nourishment  or  maturity. 

The  outer  bark  should  be  a  clear  yellow  or  purple  brown,  according 
to  the  variety,  and  without  dark  blotches  or  immature  areas.  "When 
the  cane  is  cut  with  a  sharp  knife  the  inner  bark  should  appear  green 
and  full  of  sap,  the  wood  should  be  hard  and  free  from  dark  specks 
or  streaks,  and  the  pith  of  moderate  size,  clear,  firm,  and  light  colored. 

Cuttings  which  do  not  fill  these  specifications  should  not  be  planted 
directly  in  the  vineyard.  Less  perfect  cuttings  may  be  planted  in  the 
nursery.  Some  are  likely  to  grow  well  and  will  be  suitable  for  vine- 
yard planting  the  next  year. 

Time  to  Make  Cuttings. — Cuttings  are  supposed  to  be  best  if  made 
from  vines  pruned  within  a  week  or  two  after  the  fall  of  the  leaves, 
but,  if  the  vines  are  healthy  and  the  wood  well  matured,  they  may  be 
made  from  vines  pruned  at  any  time  from  the  fall  of  the  leaves  until 
a  week  before  the  starting  of  the  buds  in  spring. 

It  is  best  to  make  the  cuttings  as  soon  as  possible  after  the  vines 
are  pruned ;  but  if  the  weather  is  cool  the  prunings  may  lie  a  week  or 
two  in  the  vineyard  without  injury. 

Method  of  Making  Cuttings. — Cuttings  of  from  half  an  inch  to 
one-third  of  an  inch  in  diameter  are  best,  and  they  should  not  be  more 
than  1  inch  at  the  butt  nor  less  than  one  quarter  inch  at  the  top.  The 
shorter  they  are  the  better,  providing  they  can  be  made  to  root.  In 
good  nursery  soil  with  special  care  cuttings  of  8  inches  do  very  well. 
Usually  10  to  12  inches  is  better.  For  direct  planting  in  the  vineyard 
they  should  be  from  15  to  18  inches.     The  looser  and  drier  the  soil 


Z  UNIVERSITY  OF    CALIFORNIA EXPERIMENT   STATION 

and  the  hotter  the  climate  the  longer  they  should  be.  In  wet  heavy 
soil  in  the  cooler  regions  short  cuttings  are  preferable. 

Kind  of  Cuttings. — Cuttings  may  be  made  from  any  part  of  the 
vine  if  they  fill  the  specifications  already  given.  In  some  cases  only 
one  cutting  can  be  made  from  one  cane ;  in  others,  three,  four,  or  more. 
There  seems  to  be  no  reason  to  avoid  suckers  and  watersprouts  if  they 
are  of  the  proper  quality.  Laterals,  if  large  and  well  matured,  make 
excellent  cuttings  and  are  often  preferable  in  long-jointed  varieties, 
like  Sultanina. 

The  base  of  the  cutting  should  be  as  close  as  possible  to  a  bud, 
providing  the  diaphragm  or  cross  partition  is  left.  If  a  pithy  piece 
of  wood  is  left  at  the  base  the  cutting  does  not  heal  over  when  it  roots 
and  is  apt  to  decay.  At  the  top  of  the  cutting  about  three-quarters  of 
an  inch  of  internode  should  be  left  above  the  uppermost  bud. 

Care  of  Cuttings. — If  the  cuttings  are  made  in  planting  time  they 
should  be  planted  as  soon  as  made,  with  care  to  prevent  drying.  If, 
as  is  more  usual,  they  are  made  several  weeks  or  months  before  plant- 
ing, their  success  depends  very  much  on  the  way  they  are  handled  in 
the  meanwhile. 

The  amount  of  growth  that  a  cutting  will  make  the  first  year  de- 
pends on  the  kind  of  soil  it  is  planted  in,  the  regularity  and  sufficiency 
of  the  water  supply,  and  the  temperature  and  length  of  the  growing 
season.  A  properly  handled  cutting  in  suitable  soil  in  the  Imperial 
Valley  will  make  as  much  growth  in  the  first  season  as  a  similar  cutting 
equally  well  handled  in  a  cool  locality  will  make  in  three  seasons. 

In  order  to  utilize  the  growing  season  to  the  full  in  any  region,  the 
cuttings  should  start  to  grow  as  early  as  they  are  reasonably  safe  from 
frost  or  prolonged  cold  wet  weather. 

The  chief  danger  in  the  cooler  regions  is  planting  too  early.  Several 
weeks  of  cold  wet  weather  may  cause  them  to  rot  in  the  ground, 
especially  in  low  places  or  in  heavy  soils.  Under  such  conditions  April 
is  perhaps  the  best  month  for  planting.  In  the  hottest  regions  the 
chief  danger  is  the  drying  of  the  cuttings  before  they  root,  or  sunburn 
of  the  young  growth  before  the  roots  are  sufficiently  developed  to 
supply  water.  In  these  conditions  January  or  February  are  perhaps 
the  best  months  for  planting.  In  any  case,  it  is  important  that  the 
roots  shall  start  as  soon  as  or  sooner  than  the  leaves,  and  the  cuttings 
should  be  handled  with  this  object  in  view. 

Heat  and  water  are  necessary  to  start  either  roots  or  buds.  We 
can  delay  either  by  keeping  the  cuttings  dry  and  cool  or  hasten  either 
by  keeping  them  moist  and  warm.  Too  much  heat  may  cause  the 
cuttings  to  decay.  There  is  little  danger  from  cold,  even  freezing,  if 
the  cuttings  are  mature.  Too  much  water  will  cause  rapid  decay, 
especially  at  high  temperatures.  Dryness  is  less  dangerous,  especially 
at  low  temperatures. 

In  view  of  these  facts,  the  best  way  of  handling  the  cuttings  before 
planting  seems  to  be  to  bury  them  in  moderately  dry  sand  in  a  cool 
place  until  about  two  to  three  weeks  before  planting,  then  to  moisten 
the  sand,  and  increase  its  temperature  until  planting  commences. 

A  good  way  to  do  this  is  to  place  a  pile  of  sand  in  a  sunny  place 
early  in  the  season  while  dry  sand  can  be  obtained.    The  pile  should 


Circular  225  PROPAGATION  OF  VINES  3 

be  protected  from  surface  water  by  means  of  a  shallow  surrounding 
trench.  The  moisture  can  be  controlled  by  sprinkling  if  necessary  or 
by  covering  with  boards  or  canvas  in  case  of  too  much  rain. 

The  cuttings,  as  soon  as  made,  are  put  up  in  bundles  of  100  to  200, 
well  tied  and  with  the  butts  all  level.  These  bundles  are  then  buried 
carefully  and  regularly  in  the  sand  pile  with  the  butts  up  and  all  at 
the  same  level.  Sand  should  be  packed  in  between  the  bundles  and 
as  much  as  possible  between  the  cuttings  in  the  bundles.  Between  3 
and  4  inches  of  sand  should  then  be  placed  over  the  butts  of  the  cut- 
tings, making  a  perfectly  level  bed. 

To  protect  the  cuttings  from  moisture  and  heat  and  so  to  keep  them 
dormant  the  sand  should  then  be  well  covered  with  12  to  18  inches  of 
straw,  chaff,  or  similar  material. 

About  two  or  three  weeks  before  planting  is  to  commence  the  straw 
covering  should  be  removed  and  the  4-inch  top  layer  of  sand  thor- 
oughly moistened  by  sprinkling.  The  moisture  and  the  heat  from  the 
sun  will  then  start  the  process  of  root  formation.  The  sand  must  be 
closely  watched  and  sprinkled  as  often  as  is  necessary  to  prevent  dry- 
ing, only  enough  water  being  used  to  moisten  the  top  layer  of  sand. 
The  drier  the  tops  of  the  cuttings,  which  are  at  the  bottom  of  the  sand 
pile,  the  longer  they  will  remain  dormant. 

After  seven  to  ten  days  the  butts  of  the  cuttings  should  be  examined 
every  few  days.  As  soon  as  they  show  signs  of  white  healing  tissue 
(callus)  and  checking  of  the  joint  where  the  roots  are  forming  they  are 
ready  to  plant.  Planting  should  not  be  delayed  until  roots  appear,  as 
these  roots  will  be  destroyed  in  planting  and  others  will  have  to  form. 

When  planting  extends  over  several  weeks,  the  removal  of  the  sand 
layer  should  be  gradual  and  at  the  same  rate  as  the  planting  will  take 
place  so  that  the  cuttings  when  planted  will  all  be  in  the  proper 
condition. 

This  method  is  excellent  and  results  in  a  large  percentage  of  rooted 
vines  and  large  growth.  It  is  also  dangerous  because  unless  carefully 
and  skillfully  carried  out  the  cuttings  may  be  injured  and  not  grow 
at  all. 

Unless  there  is  certainty  of  the  method  being  properly  carried  out 
it  is  best  simply  to  bury  the  cuttings  in  moderately  dry  sand  in  a  cool 
place  protected  from  sun  and  rain.  A  cellar,  shed,  or  other  shady 
place  is  suitable. 

Planting  Cuttings. — The  cuttings  may  be  planted  in  the  nursery  by 
means  of  spades  and  shovels,  assisted  sometimes  by  the  use  of  a  plow 
or  other  means,  according  to  the  character  of  the  soil,  the  number  of 
cuttings  to  plant,  and  the  means  available.  The  mechanical  details 
will  vary  in  each  case.  In  all  cases,  however,  certain  conditions  must 
be  observed  to  get  the  best  results. 

The  soil  should  be  fairly  rich.  The  texture  is  not  of  great  import- 
ance, though  excessively  sandy  or  very  heavy  soils  are  not  suitable. 
The  soil  should  be  well  plowed  or  subsoiled  to  a  depth  of  at  least  12 
inches,  unless  naturally  open  and  loose.  It  should  be  well  graded  so 
that  it  can  be  easily  and  regularly  irrigated. 

If  the  cuttings  have  been  callused  in  the  way  described,  they  should 
be  removed  from  the  sand  just  before  planting  and  carefully  protected 


4  UNIVERSITY  OF    CALIFORNIA EXPERIMENT   STATION 

from  drying  by  being  placed  in  planting  cans  or  boxes  and  covered 
with  wet  sacks.  They  should  not  be  exposed  to  the  sun  or  dry  air  for 
more  than  a  few  minutes,  even  when  planting. 

If  the  cuttings  have  been  kept  in  dry  sand,  they  should  be  placed 
in  water  for  24  to  48  hours  before  planting.  This  is  best  done  by- 
placing  them  in  five-gallon  oil  cans  filled  with  water,  where  they  should 
remain  until  taken  to  the  field  for  planting. 

They  should  be  planted  with  the  second  bud  level  with  the  ground, 
that  is,  with  one  full  joint  above  the  surface.  A  line  or  long  batten 
should  be  used  to  insure  the  row  being  straight.  This  much  simplifies 
cultivation  and  hoeing.  The  soil  should  be  firmed  around  the  butts 
and  unless  quite  moist  settled  with  water  when  the  trench  is  about 
three-fourths  full.  The  soil  should  then  be  brought  up  around  the 
cuttings  almost  to  the  top  bud  by  hand  or  a  suitable  implement  so 
that  each  row  of  cuttings  is  in  the  middle  of  a  slight  ridge.  This 
facilitates  irrigation. 

If  water  has  been  run  in  while  planting,  no  irrigation  will  be  needed 
for  about  two  weeks.  Otherwise  the  nursery  should  be  irrigated  within 
a  day  or  two  after  planting.  Subsequent  irrigation  will  depend  on  the 
soil  and  the  climate,  but  it  should  be  relatively  frequent  during  the 
first  part  of  the  season  so  as  to  start  growth  early  and  to  keep  it  going 
until  the  vines  have  made  a  top  growth  of  12  or  more  inches  and  have 
developed  a  good  root  system  that  will  make  them  less  sensitive  to 
drying  out. 

Irrigation  should  stop  early  enough  to  prevent  late  growth.  About 
the  beginning  or  middle  of  September  the  tips  should  cease  to  make 
new  growth  and  the  canes  should  commence  to  show  the  brown  of 
mature  wood  at  the  base.  Usually  no  irrigation  should  be  given  after 
the  last  days  of  August. 

Digging  and  Care  of  Booted  Tines. — The  vines  may  be  dug  as  soon 
as  they  have  dropped  their  leaves  or  may  be  left  in  the  ground  until 
they  are  needed  for  planting.  The  ground  should  be  moist  down  to 
the  roots,  but  not  wet  when  the  vines  are  dug.  All  that  are  fit  to  plant 
should  be  sorted  into  two  classes,  number  1  and  number  2.  Number  1 
vines  are  those  which  have  made  a  well  ripened  top  growth  of  at  least 
6  inches,  have  healthy  roots  of  at  least  one-eighth  inch  diameter  at  the 
bottom,  and  show  no  dead  areas  or  mechanical  injuries  on  the  part  of 
the  vine  that  represents  the  original  cutting.  Number  2  vines  are 
those  having  a  smaller  growth  but  well  matured  wood  and  no  serious 
defects.  Vines  showing  black  knot,  nematodes,  serious  mechanical 
injuries,  or  little  or  no  mature  wood  or  roots  should  be  rejected. 

The  roots  are  tied  up  in  bundles  of  50  to  100,  according  to  size, 
and  the  tops  and  roots  shortened  with  a  broad  axe  to  4  or  5  inches  after 
tying.  Each  bundle  should  be  furnished  with  a  good  label  showing 
variety,  number,  and  grade.  They  should  not  be  exposed  much  to  the 
sun  and  should  be  buried  in  moist  sand  the  day  they  are  dug.  If  they 
are  to  be  kept  long  they  should  be  buried  in  a  shady  place  or  shed. 
They  should  be  kept  as  cool  as  possible  until  planted  and  should  be 
planted  before  buds  or  roots  have  started  to  swell  or  to  grow. 

In  hauling  or  shipping  they  should  be  well  protected  from  drying 
by  means  of  wet  sacks  or  wet  straw  if  left  out  of  the  ground  for  more 
than  two  days. 


